Two decades late, Art Gallery of NSW gets go-ahead to enter 21st century

The state government is going to fund an ambitious expansion at the Art Gallery of NSW to the tune of $244m.

‘This is my church’: Ben Quilty and Art Gallery of NSW director Michael Brand yesterday. Picture: James Croucher

Michael Brand’s future at the helm of the Art Gallery of NSW appears to be secure following confirmation that the state government will fund his ambitious expansion project to the tune of $244 million.

The gallery now needs to raise $30m more in private donations, having already announced $70m in philanthropic support.

NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin said taxpayer money, to be included in next week’s state budget, was depend­ent on that $100m in private support.

“There’s no reason why 100 per cent of the costs of arts and culture should be covered by the government when there are passionate people who want to support the arts,” he said yesterday.

“Obviously a project like this is a game-changer and it will involve a significant state government contribution.”

The expansion, known as Sydney Modern, will double the size of the gallery with a low-lying series of terraces that fan out towards the harbour and Woolloomooloo.

Dr Brand launched the plan in 2013, a year after his appointment. Two years later, following an international design competition, the gallery named Pritzker prize-winning Japanese firm SANAA as its preferred architect.

In April, Dr Brand was granted a one-year extension to his contrac­t so he could finalise fundraising. Asked yesterday whether he wanted to see the director in place when the project was completed, Mr Harwin said: “The current­ director has done a great job and he’s just been reappointed for another term.”

The gallery later confirmed that Dr Brand remained on a single­-year extension.

He maintains that the expansion is necessary in order to bring the gallery into the 21st century, saying inadequate gallery space means losing major touring exhib­itions to state galleries interstate.

Ben Quilty, an Archibald Prize-winning artist who sits on the board of trustees, said the developmen­t would rejuvenate Sydney just as the Tate Modern did for London two decades ago.

“In a sense, this is my church,” Quilty said. “This building is the reason I do what I do … But we’ve run out of collection space.”

Prominent philanthropist Sim­on Mordant, the chairman of the Museum of Contemporary Art, told The Australian that the decis­ion represented a vote of confid­ence from the government in the visual arts. “The expansion of the art gallery will enhance the cultural­ offering of Sydney and, along with the world-class programming that the MCA and the art gallery can provide, will make a significant contribution to Sydney­’s reputation as a truly international city.”

Construction will begin in 2019, with the project due to be finished­ by 2021 to coincide with the gallery’s 150th anniversary.

Mr Harwin, who also announce­d a $100m Regional Cultural Fund to support cultural projects across the state, brushed aside criticism from former prime minister Paul Keating, a promin­ent critic of the expansion.

“Paul’s well known for being forthright in his views but lots of people have been consulted in the course of this Sydney Modern project,” he said.

“It’s developed and I think it’s landed in an excellent space, and I think what we’re getting is a great outcome for the people of NSW.”